Means for mounting needles in textile combs.



THOMAS TOWNSEND, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLANIJ.

MEANS FOR MOUNTING NEEDLES IN TEXTILE, COMES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS TOWNSEND, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Mounting Needles in Textile Combs, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improved means for provldmg textile combs with teeth or needles, and 1t consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as herein-- after set forth and claimed.

The essential object of the invention is to provide a portable tool or apparatus arranged to be used in connection with machines for combing cotton or other textile fibers; and said improved tool comprises a filling-bar, so-called, arranged to be positioned and detachably secured to a mechanically movable pan carrying needles in a loose state; the movements of the pan causing the needles to segregate themselves and properly enter spaced openings formed in the filling-bar therefor, the latter being removably held in a separable yoke or clamp (comprising another element of my inven tion) arranged whereby the connected needle-charged filling-bar and clamp are adapted to be detached bodily from the panactuating machine, the needles of the fillingbar being subsequently soldered direct to the previously prepared comb-bar or back while they are still mounted in the fillingbar.

By means of the present invention I am enabled to produce combs of the character referred to at a greatly reduced cost. That is to say, in the manufacture of combs as heretofore practised, the shanks of the positioned and alining needles extending from the face of the charged gage-bar were first clamped between the jaws of a transferclamp, at the same time releasing the needles from the gage-bar, the point portion of the needles then being outermost; and the needlecarrying transfer-clamp was next positioned so that its row of needle-points were clamped between the jaws of a second clamp, termed a book, followed by removing the transfer-clamp, thus leaving the shanks of the needles exposed; the latter then being normally adapted to be soldered direct to the comb-bar. Thus it is apparout that by means of the present invention Application filed November 15, 1913.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July as, 1914.

Serial N0. 801,124.

a material reduction in time and cost over said former devices is effected, as before stated.

In the appended sheet of drawings illustrating my improvement, Figure 1 is a side elevation, in reduced scale, showing a machine adapted to automatically insert needles into my improved filling-bar; Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the filling-bar connected to the pan or needle-reservoir; Fig. 3 is a vertical section, further enlarged, taken on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing an end portion of the filling-bar and its follower or cap; Fig, 5is a cross section of the filling-bar, taken on line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a top plan View of the filling-bar proper, removably clamped in an elongated :l-shaped holder or yoke; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-section of the same, taken on line 7--7 of Fig. 6.

In the needle-assembling machine illus trated in Fig. 1, the same is provided with ways w, a crank-connected cross-head w movable on said ways, and a reciprocating pan or reservoir f adapted to carry the short pointed needles 7) in a loose state. To the front end f of the pan, at each side there of, is located a narrow open bracket a having a foot a secured to the bottom of the pan. The bracket opening a is arranged to receive the filling-bar B and its top follower or cap 79 screws a being employed for obvious purposes. See Figs. 2 and 3. The bar B, preferably of brass, has machined surfaces, its upper edge having a narrow raised rib or flange 16 extending lengthwise of the bar. The upper face of said rib is transversely grooved or corrugated (see 72 Fig. 6) corresponding with the number of spaced teeth 79 per inch required for the comb. The grooved face may be surfaced off in case of wear and recut. A flat strip of metal, 0, as steel, of uniform width and thickness is secured by screws 0 to the filling-bar B, its upper face extending above that of the grooved part t; and the edge ofmember also servesas a gage for limiting and alining the depth of the pointed portions of the needles. When the member B is new its lower. edge rests on the corresponding edge of the alining bracket openings a substantially as indicated in Fig. 3, the bars upper corrugated edge then being accurately positioned to properly receive the pointed ends of the needles. Upon resurfacing and recutting the part 26, and in order to accurately reposition and readjust the bar B with respect to the base of the pan 7", I provide the bar with a fine-threaded adjusting screw (Z opposite each bracket a adapted to bear upon the lower proximate edge of the opening of. The follower or cap of the filling-bar B is also made of brass and extends the length of the bar; it is preferably thickest at the endssee .71 Figs. 2 and 4. Its lower edge is reduced in thickness, as at t to correspond with the width of said surface 6; the outer ends are provided with dowel-like pins h, the parts B, 6 being normally held against separation by elongated end springs 8 connected to hooks s of the respective members. A swinging, slightly cam-shaped dog or latch e, pivoted centrally at e to the face of the follower, may be employed to strengthen and stiffen the member 6 See Figs. 2 and 5.

After the filling-bar B is charged 'or filled with the needles 7; the springs 5 may be released and the follower b removed, first loosening the upper screws a and latch e.

The then exposed point portions of the.

needles lying in the respective grooves of the bar are next covered with a light strip of wood or leather 1* having, say a rectangular cross-section on which 18 placed a thln, narrow bar of metal a, as brass. See Fig. 7. A separable open :a shaped yoke or clamp A is inserted fiatwlse horizontally between the brackets a, (4 until its rear edges n, n are substantially flush with the corresponding vertical face of the bar B, the whole being securely clamped together by a series of screws m passing vertically through the lower and upper members of the yoke, and surmounted by manually actuated nuts m Springs m pressing against the under side of the upper or cap member m of the yoke serve to keep the said upper and lower sides normally separated until the clamp'is placed in position, followed by tightening the nuts. It may be stated that the material of the strip 1 is such that it offers a slight degree of resiliency to the needles while at the same time adapting itself to very slight variations in the needles themselves, thereby insuring a better retaining and releasing grip.

By means of my invention, the butt port-ion of the needles extending outward at right angles from the face of the filling-bar B (mounted in yoke A) may be readily soldered to the back 11 of a comb. See Fig. 7 Thus it is apparent that the teeth P are capable of being secured direct to the comb member itself, while they are still retained as initially clamped in the filling-bar, the latter in turn being quickly disconnected from the comb by simply loosening the nuts 172*.

I claim:

1. A filling-bar of the character described, arranged to be detachably secured to a machine for shaking and segregating a mass of pointed needles or teeth for textile combs, said filling-bar having an edge thereof provided with spaced transverse grooves arranged to receive such needles, a gage strip secured to the said grooved edge of the filling-bar, and a complementary follower member connected to the filling-bar.

2. The combination with one or more brackets arran ed to be detachably secured to a machine for segregating a mass of pointed needle-like teeth for use in textile combs, of a filling-bar member or holder removably positioned in said brackets, said bar having its upper face provided with spaced transverse grooves to receive the pointed end portions of such needle-like teeth, a. gage strip secured to said grooved face adapted to limit the distance the teeth may be inserted in the bar, a complementary upper bar member having its lower face engaging the said grooved face of the firstnamed bar member, and manually controlled means for securing the said bar members together as one.

3. The combination of a clamp member having spaced apart upper and lower parallel flanges, one of the flanges being adjustable relatively to the other, a filling-bar member arranged to be positioned in said clamp, an edge of said bar having spaced grooves therein adapted to receive the pointed end portion of short pins or needles, a gage secured to said grooved edge for limit-- ing the position of pins endwise in said grooves, a strip of material adapted to rest flatwise upon the said end portion of pins, a bearing bar engaging the strip throughout its length, and means connected with said clamp arranged to hold said filling-bar, gage, strip and bearing members in position between said flanges.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS TOWNSEND.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. REMINGTON, lVaL'rnn l/V. TOWNSEND.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Waihington, I). G.

IQO 

